New Inventions 2: A Night with Theda Bara
by CatherineJosephineMarie007
Summary: A proper response to the New Years 'New Inventions' challenge on lovebelowstairs. It involves C/H, our favourite film vamp, and inappropriate touching. Possibly spoilers for S2, given who is mentioned. Rated T-ish.


**Author's Notes: I realise that at this point the pictures weren't exactly new, but they were still new enough to get people excited, and they were considered quite a night out. **

**Also: La Belle Russe, the film I'm talking about, is presumed lost. Only two films by the great Theda Bara are known to exist in their entirety, and they both take place LONG before this story does. So that's why there's no information about the actual content.: we don't know what it was.**

**Time Setting: After the Christmas Special, so 1920. Oh and guess what? I'm still in my little fantasy world where Mr Bates is out of prison. We're just going with it.**

**Rating: T, plus some.**

**Pairing: Carson/Hughes, and Theda Bara**

"Really Daisy, it's not going to get up and walk away!" Mrs Hughes scolded. "There's no need to gallop."

The kitchen maid looked appropriately chastised and left her place in front of her and Mr Carson to walk with Mrs Patmore, who predictably pronounced her a 'fool girl'.

Elsie rolled her eyes at Charles, who just smiled in that little closed mouth way he usually did when they were around the staff. She felt a little prick of pride that he only really smiled when he was alone with her.

"You shouldn't chastise her, Elsie," he almost whispered to her. "Getting a night off all together is a very rare occurrence, and actually being let out of the house en masse is even more exciting, especially for Daisy, since she never gets to go anywhere."

"There you go again, getting to be the sweet father figure while I'm the strict old Catherinette," she whispered back. He knew she was joking; she hadn't been a Catherinette in a very long time.

"None of them see you like that." He replied as they approached the cinema.

"Except Thomas."

"I don't count Thomas." He winked almost imperceptibly.

For once tonight, except for the stable boys and Mr Lynch, Downton Abbey was almost empty; Lord and Lady Grantham were in London, Lady Edith was spending the night at Lady Violet's after contracting a sudden head cold, Lady Sybil was of course in Ireland. Lady Mary had come down to give them all the evening off when she saw Daisy and Anna reading the advertisement for a new film in Ripon.

"Why don't you all go over to Ripon tonight?" she asked enthusiastically. "Matthew has threatened to show me his prowess in the kitchen at Crawley House this evening, and Cousin Isobel has offered me the guest room. None of us will be needing you, and I'm sure Mr Lynch won't mind having the boys in to sit in the servant's hall in case the doorbell rings until you return."

All of them looked down the table for Mrs Hughes acquiescence, but she was already looking at Mr Carson with an eyebrow raised. He'd sighed dramatically, then nodded. That evening at seven they were all on the train to Ripon for the eight o'clock showing of _La Belle Russe._

The eleven of them all purchased tickets then spread out in the cinema to find seats as far away from Carson and Hughes as possible. Daisy sat with the housemaids Lily, Dorothy and Rose nearer the front, while Thomas and O'Brien sat directly behind them. _No doubt to eavesdrop and smirk derisively at everything they say,_ Mrs Hughes thought.

The Bates' of course found two seats together in the middle of the room, near the wall. The two of them were known for speaking quietly to one another, in their own world, so it was easy to assume they'd be having a whispered running commentary on the entire film.

Elsie and Charles took seats on the aisle near the back, so they could see anyone who might leave during the film. They were hoping to have a little time to themselves in the dark theatre, but Mrs Patmore shuffled by them and settled herself two seats down. Charles looked at Elsie with such annoyance and longing that she almost could have laughed at his disappointment. But she just returned the look and sat turned a little bit toward him, temporarily excluding the cook from their world.

When the lights went down Charles grabbed her hand, holding it on her seat beneath the armrest, as to be out of sight. When the opening titles ran and they proclaimed Theda Bara as the star, she shot him a smirk. They both remembered when he said Haxby Park was like something out of a film with Theda Bara. It was the same night she finally confessed just how much she didn't want him to leave Downton. It was purely coincidence that Anna beat her to the punch with her story about Sir Richard asking her to spy on Lady Mary. But she'd told him afterward. And then showed him.

Elsie extracted her hand and laid it softly on Charles' leg, right above his knee. She pretended not to see his raised brow out of the corner of her eye, and began rubbing her thumb up and down on his trousers, her full attention on the screen.

"What are you doing, Elsie?" he said quietly, turning toward her in his seat and placing his mouth right next to her ear. He felt her smile.

"Nothing. I thought you wanted a little alone time tonight anyway." She replied innocently. Charles held her other hand, hiding the action by moving her right hand to the left elbow of her jacket.

"I did…" he replied slowly, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, you saw _Cleopatra_," she said reasonably. "It's only a matter of time before she's wearing less of an outfit than the Venus de Milo."

He chuckled quietly and tightened his grip on her and placed his free hand over the one on his leg. They remained touching thus until the last possible moment, rearranging themselves right before the lights came back on.

"Did you enjoy the film Mr Carson?" Anna asked as they filed out onto the street. She had her hands securely on her husband's elbow and a twinkling in her eyes.

"Yes, I did Anna, thank you." Charles replied suspiciously. "How did you find it?"

"Oh, it was very nice, but I'm not sure I _enjoyed_ it as much as you did." They exited the door Mr Carson had been holding and left he and Elsie staring after them in bemused embarrassment.

**If you've never seen Theda Bara's costume as **_**Cleopatra**_**, you should; it was racy for the time. There's about 19 seconds of it that's been recovered, and its on Youtube should you be so inclined. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
